Exciting Job Developments

Well, the job front just got a little more interesting today. At about 10 a.m., just as I was getting up, the phone rang; it was Alltel, the local cellphone company, with whom I applied last week; they want to interview me. If I hire on with them, they'll pay me $10.53 an hour plus incentives, and I'd get free cellphone service after 90 days. This is in a bit of contrast to the job I may have mentioned (or may not have mentioned) that a friend of my brother's who works at a web hosting company might be offering me, which would start out paying a little less than what I'm making now. Which would put me in the position of having to choose between love and money, basically...I'd love to be in web design instead of customer service, but I can't deny that extra money is looking a bit attractive to me.

But wait, there's more! Today we had a training visit from the Missouri Job Center, to talk about unemployment benefits (ho-hum) and "dislocated worker" benefits. (I love that term, "dislocated worker." It's like I'm a shoulder.) Apparently, since I'm being laid off, I'm eligible for all these funky benefits, including relocation to work somewhere else (even if the job itself doesn't cover relocation) and—get this—they'll pay for up to two years of school for retraining purposes. Wow.

Now, given that my brother's friend had apparently said that if he hired me, he'd want to get me trained as a graphic designer...I'm wondering if I could maybe parley this into me going back to school for that and taking the job with him as an internship or at the end of the training. That certainly would tip the scales in favor of that computer job, wouldn't it? I might just have to bring it up with him at the interview, if he calls me for one this week. All I have to do is manage not to get fired...and given that I haven't even gotten any verbal warnings in the year-plus I've been here, it would take a lot to get me fired now.

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Not actually available from iTMS...
Disney at the 1964-1965 World's Fair - Pre Show The Underscore

In the Mudhouse again...

Finishing out an evening of low-key net stuff hanging around at the downtown coffeehouse. I wish there were more wireless spots in town just for variety's sake. I wish we had the Union Station or something like it down here. Can't wait 'til the convention at the end of the month so I'll be able to hang out there.

Not too much to report, I guess. Sluggy Freelance is really funny tonight...even funnier than last night, and I hadn't thought that was possible. Pete is definitely back to his zany best again. When the strip gets dragged into angsty long plotlines, you tend to forget just how good it can be when it's just being funny.

Found more info on that dislocated worker benefits thing. Not much more, though.

I think it's about time I headed home and got to bed. Later.

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May or may not be available from iTMS...
Danny Elfman - M. I. B. Main Theme